Why do people hate Sarah Palin so much?

I’ve often seen how people (usually left-leaning) react to anything that has to do with Sarah Palin. Just the mention of her name evokes a visceral reaction from many that makes me scratch my head. I’m not a fan of her, but I don’t see her as being any worse than any other politicians. The only difference between her and most other politicians is that she actually has a following. Is that it?

On the Huffington Post, there is an article about how Palin child Willow had a meltdown on Facebook in response to someone criticizing her mom’ s TLC show. While what she said was enough to have gotten me grounded for life if I had said the same at age 16, it has given Palin detractors another chance to take shots at her and her entire family. It is as though people are so anxious to hate the other side that they must make it personal.